Towing safety tips you should know about

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Taking adequate safety measures is very important for anyone who is planning to tow for the very first time. Driving a vehicle with a trailer attached is very different from driving your vehicle load free. Since many vehicles today come with a pre-installed trailer hitch, you can tow almost anything as long as the load is within your vehicles recommended limit. The following are some crucial safety measures you need to take while towing.

Connect the trailer to the vehicle

While connecting the trailer to the vehicle, there are three important pars that you should connect:

• The hitching systems: you can differentiate hitches according to the amount of weight they can pull. It is advisable to use the manufacture recommendations for the tow vehicle when buying the hitch. You should also get safety chains, which are recommended in most states. When you cross them under the trailer tongue, they prevent it from dropping on the ground in case the trailer is separated from the vehicle.
• The braking system: you also need to get a good braking system connection for the trailer and the tow vehicle. In case the trailer weighs more than 1.5 tons while loaded, you need to get a separate breaking system for the trailer. You can get electronically controlled brakes with manual or automatic control in trailer brakes of surge brakes which are independent and activate by a master cylinder at the hitch-tongue connection.
• Wiring and lights: your trailer also needs to have working tail lights, brake lights and turn signals. The tow vehicle powers these lights using a connection to the trailer from its electrical system. Therefore other road users can use the trailer lights as indicators since the back of the two vehicles may be partially or totally hidden by the trailer.

Tires

Do not mix different types of tires on your trailer. The construction of the tires that you can buy for your trailer depends on the load since the tires come with a load rating. You need to maintain proper tire pressure and always replace worn out tires. If you are towing a very heavy load you may need higher tire pressure.

Load weight distribution

Proper load weight distribution makes it much easier to handle the trailer on the road. Make sure you balance the weight from side to side and that you distribute the weight over the entire length of the trailer. You should also secure movable loads to the base of the trailer platform to prevent it from moving around while you are driving.

If you have other towing needs, don't be afraid to contact a company like Executive Towing Services for more information. 

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17 April 2015